Italy: Viva Italia Meets Thread

My husband and I and his parents did the VIVA italia tour a summer ago, and it was everything you would expect from Disney. The guides were beyond knowledgeable and helpful. The bags were always where they should be without your touching them, the trains, motor coaches were of the highest quality and always early. Meals were always ready when they were supposed to be. The local guides were perfect and entertaining and engaging. There are always Disney surprises. And when you enter high volume exhibits such as the Colloseum, Vatican museum, or michelangelo museum, younkers by all the tourists in line, and all the otherntour groups in line. Don't knowmhow they do it, but it is the best vacation. The guides have maps and they circle restaurants you would like, when you are touring a city, they make suggestions fornwhen you have free time on where to shop, eat, photo ops, other museums. And there are always maps for everyone. We did not have children with us, and there are severL times there are special dinners, movies, games, events for the kids and the adults have time alone. At the Medici estate, we had the options of going back to the estate from Florence after a guided tour, or sightseeing on our own in Florence and buzzing back later. We stayed and went to another museum, vizier the gardens, got beautiful photos, many went up the ribs of the Duomo, and everyone ate lots of gelato!

we did this trip with our two daughters (21 &16) and had a wonderful time. All the adjectives you hear about this trip are true and the hotels they have chosen are out of this world. Just do a quick search on Tripadvisor prices you will realize the value of these hotels. Best trip we ever did. One of our group said it so well, " It is like taking a trip with your Dad and Mom", truly that is how well, you are taken care of.

Would like to take a Disney Italy trip this summer but not sure a 5 year old will keep up. We have a 13 and 10 year old too. Any thoughts? Would cruise be better?

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IMHO, the youngest I would bring on one of these Adventures would be 10. Not to say an 8 year old couldn't keep up, I just think to get the most out of the experience for the expense, 10 - 12 would be good. Our DD19 even said to us that she was happy we waited to do Europe until she was 18 to totally appreciate EVERYTHING ! ;-)

Hello! We'll be joining you just as the school year closes here in Canada. My well-travelled kids will be adding Italy to their adventures! Deven will be almost 8 and Nora 6 when we meet up in Rome. Looking forward to hearing from the rest of the group!

We added two predays on to the trip and are going to pompeii for the day on the 17th. It's my youngest DD's dream to visit there. We had hoped to add a day at the end in Venice, but it was over $600. per room a night (we need 2 rooms) so over $1200.00 for one night.

We did the Germany trip 4 years ago and it was our favorite trip ever. We're already thinking of doing Scotland or Ireland next year, but we want to wait to hear how people like the Scotland trip before we make a decision.

We added two predays on to the trip and are going to pompeii for the day on the 17th. It's my youngest DD's dream to visit there. We had hoped to add a day at the end in Venice, but it was over $600. per room a night (we need 2 rooms) so over $1200.00 for one night.

We did the Germany trip 4 years ago and it was our favorite trip ever. We're already thinking of doing Scotland or Ireland next year, but we want to wait to hear how people like the Scotland trip before we make a decision.

Can't wait for August to get here!

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Cindy - did you do a trip report on your Germany trip? We are now debating that one, too! Decisions, decisions!!! ;-)

Our Italian culinary training is proceeding on schedule. On our second visit to the Nouveau Italian place in Toronto everybody dipped their bread in oil without asking for butter, Italian lemon soda was consumed with great gusto, grilled calamari and beef carpaccio were both approved, and every last speck of the Margherita pizza was consumed. Now we just have to start on the distance walking portion of the program. In the 10 degree weather yesterday we only got about a half mile! Can't wait for June!
We have added two predays to the trip. We are planning to go to Ostia Antica and possibly Nettuno for the beach. We'll see how the jet lag is.